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X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

I am trying to create an X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection, to probe the chuck/tool on a cnc lathe. The code is written in C#. The Y-axis component of the algorithm works the X-axis does not. Have tried using code seen in different forums elsewhere but have hit a wall. Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is the algorithm within the program.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Within the image the yellow line represents the boundary line and the black line shows the actual line traveled by the tool. Within the circle you can see the tool goes beyond the boundary thus damaging the chuck and product.
Appreciate your time on this manner, looking forward to everyone's thoughts.

Re: X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

Code is often the ultimate explanation of an algorithm but only if it works. Yours doesn't so you will have to explain the algorithm in some other way. Only then can one tell what's wrong with the code.

Re: X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

Thanks for your response Wolle. So I'll start from the beginning. To create the starting reference line, there's a program that first probes the tooling every 40 thousandth of an inch which generates an exact x,y coordinate for each point. This, once completed creates a highly accurate profile of the tooling (the Red line). Then, this program (the one we're trying to correct) should give an offset distance from the red line (which could be any programmed distance but typically an 8th or 16th of an inch) which the tool should not exceed or intersect with during operation or while programming the tools passes.
Hope this gives better insight. If not please let me know.

Re: X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

I suppose X is an array holding the input x,y-coordinates but it seems X is one-dimensional. Does it mean one of the coordinates, say x, is implicit in the array index while the other one, say y, is actually stored? Does Npts stand for "number of points" denoting the size of X?

I suppose R means radius and "circle" is mentioned in a comment. Which role does this circle play in the algorithm? Is it somehow "moved" along one side of the reference line represented by X and used to calculate the offset distance? Please explain exactly how this is supposed to work.

Observations to the code:

You are using a floating point as loop variable (double k). To repeatedly add up the same floating point increment may result in a rounding error eventually. This may cause problems and especially in this case where k is cast into an int and used as array index. I recommend you instead use an integer loop variable and calculate k from it where needed.

What I can see the code in the two while loops are identical (except for the increment/decrement of k). Is this intentional? Are the forward and backward directions fully symmetrical?

Re: X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

Hi Wolle, hope the following adequately answers your questions.

1)I suppose X is an array holding the input x,y-coordinates but it seems X is one-dimensional. Does it mean one of the coordinates, say x, is implicit in the array index while the other one, say y, is actually stored?

Answer: The X value should only be the X value of the x,y coordinate of each point taken while probing the tool.

2)Does Npts stand for "number of points" denoting the size of X?

Answer: Npts stands for the total number of points on the line taken during the initial probing exercise. So if the tool profile is an inch long and a point is taken every .04 of an inch there would be 25 points taken or Npts =25. as I understand it.

3)I suppose R means radius and "circle" is mentioned in a comment. Which role does this circle play in the algorithm?
Answer: Yes R is radius. The circle dictates the offset. Essentially the offset is expressed as a ring which is around the starting x,y reference point and every other point there after. It continues to offset these rings until the rings intersect between two points. This intersection is what defines the offset line. Sorry if I poorly explained that.
Here's a pictoral of what I'd like to express.Attachment 35423

4)Is it somehow "moved" along one side of the reference line represented by X and used to calculate the offset distance? Please explain exactly how this is supposed to work.
Answer: How it works (but not ideally how we'd like) is it incrementally offsets rings from two points beside one another until both these points offsets intersect. This intersection defines the offset. This occurs from one side to the other (right to left) but is not biased in a single direction and could work left to right. That's to say within this process it systematically calculates the offset between the first two points then moves to the next point. Please refer to the image above. Hope that this makes sense. If not I can elaborate.

Observations to the code:

You are using a floating point as loop variable (double k). To repeatedly add up the same floating point increment may result in a rounding error eventually. This may cause problems and especially in this case where k is cast into an int and used as array index. I recommend you instead use an integer loop variable and calculate k from it where needed.

Response: Thank you, we'll take a look at this!

What I can see the code in the two while loops are identical (except for the increment/decrement of k). Is this intentional? Are the forward and backward directions fully symmetrical?

Answer: We believe is this intentional but are not 100% certain as we can only reflect on the comments like yourself and cannot ask the individual whom wrote the code, from our perspective we might be stating the obvious but the lines profile wouldn't change in its total profile but if you were in the middle of the line it's left and right side would not be symmetrical reflections of one another. Hope this feedback is helpful, I greatly appreciate your time and thoughts on this issue.

Re: X,Y line offset algorithm without self intersection

Yes I can read that pdf-file fine. I think I understand the problem now but I don't understand why you need the two innermost while loops in your code?

Let's say two adjacent probed profile points are the centers of two overlapping circles with the same radius. Then to find the two intersection points of the two circles at a certain distance (offset) is standard geometry. I can be done with a closed (no iteration) formula.

In principle it's just to calculate the normal to the line between the circle centers, then multiply the normal with the wanted offset distance, and finally add the adjusted normal to the middle point between the circle centers. There are two intersection points and the one outside the product is used.

Note that in the solution above the offset distance is fixed. This makes the circles somewhat superfluous so maybe it's the degree of overlap between the circles that's supposed to be fixed and the offset varies? In that case my suggested solution must be modified to reflect that but still, the result is a closed formula so no iteration is necessary.

Furthermore, the above solution strategy has an element of averaging. It means sharp points in the probed profile may be cut off. I can think of other strategies that avoid this but maybe you should make a search for solutions in the scientific literature to be on solid ground here.

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